For What Joe Asks–the Promise of Longevity?

The gifts of conversation are falling my way gracefully at this start to 2012. Like – what is the promise of longevity in the 21st century? Always my opening question. And along comes an article by Joe Schlesinger this week on CBC News: “The problem with growing old, as a society I mean”.

For what Joe asks are the right things, including on a macro level – who will be leading the effort to find solutions for the contrasting problems of an aging world? Joe says he’ll leave it to the planners (he might be referring to retirement & financial planners) and the politicians to solve the riddle in the promise of longevity.

If we leave it up to those two groups we may get solutions we might not like – solutions we didn’t have a voice in creating. It’s really up to all of us; in our families, circles of friends and in our communities to start working on the issues. Schlesinger outlines the usual concerns in his article including the cost of health care and the fear that (as so many others trumpet) – “as more oldsters continue to work, there are fewer jobs for the young in today’s tight labour market.”

Absolute nonsense. Sorry Joe, get real. As much as I dig your concerns, it’s not going to be about “jobs” or the lack there of – if anything there will be enough “work” out there for everyone to serve the plethora of needs for an aging society.